No other region in the world is so tightly packed with two
failing states, one of which is nuclear armed, uncontrollably violent
fundamentalism and medieval animosities as the area between Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Israel (Palestine) specifically and Saudi Arabia, Syria
and Jordan generally.

What could compound the challenge for Washington under
President-elect Barack Obama is the potential disconnect between him and his
Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton. As the country’s top diplomat
Clinton is obliged to carry out her president’s foreign policy vision but many
believe she is not the one to fall in line without a spirited fight. In the
run-up to the presidential elections Clinton and Obama had gone to some lengths
to highlight the differences in their respective approach towards international
flashpoints. The starkest among them was on the question of Iran. At one point
Clinton had suggested that the US could “obliterate” Iran while Obama had spoken
in favor of a more measured, diplomatic response.

The ongoing Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza have brought
the core issue of the Middle East conflict to the top of America’s agenda
unexpectedly early for the new administration. It is safe to argue that Clinton
may not have bargained for having to deal with the Israel-Palestine mess even
before she assumes office. The sharp escalation in tensions between India and
Pakistan in the aftermath of the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks made it seem
that South Asia could demand the Obama administration’s immediate attention.
While that concern still remains on the radar, it has been overtaken by the intense
bombing of Gaza.

It is obvious that no single country, however economically
and militarily powerful, can wage so many battles simultaneously. America could
not have kept so many geopolitical fireballs in the air even at the height of
its power. At a time when its economy is tanking, military stretched and
credibility in tatters, the only way out is to engage every single player among
the contiguous states from India to Israel and create for them enough vested
interest in peaceful resolutions of all the conflicts. This would require that
even China and Russia are roped into throw their weight behind the idea of
peace. I refuse to believe that any insurgent movement, even the inherently
suicidal one, can defy the might of states as diverse as India, China and
Russia and the rest that constitute the region. The time is right now.